Schmaps and Schnaps

How would you like a very easy way to alert bunches of people when your group or business is having an event? And, even better, tell them exactly where it is with a map and photos if you like. I’m trying out a new Twitter/Facebook application called Schmaps, and have just added some local addresses as my first foray into the Schmaps and Schnaps world.

As you probably have surmised, the concept behind Schmaps (maps) and Schnaps (snapshots) is to connect a location to a map, and add an address to the location if you have one. You can use one of your Flickr photos, or upload one from your computer. (I would caution you to use only your own photos, but I admit the one I used for the map above I “nabbed” from their website.) Even if you don’t have an address for a location like a business, Schmaps has a good search engine that many times will find it and add it to your map.

Several of my genealogy friends spend a lot of time on the road giving presentations and attending jamborees, expositions and seminars. As an early adopter of the application I was able to upgrade to the $60/mo Pro version for 6 months. It looks like they have over 800 free Pro accounts yet to give away if you’re interested in trying out the application.

Schmaps keeps a list of my uploads and allows me to retweet them if I choose to do so. I can also choose to put the tweets on a schedule if I like. Clicking one button also allows me to connect Facebook with Schmaps to further spread the word about a location or event.

I would really like to see the genealogy community at large adopt this application and use it for promotion and updates about events at geographical locations. Genealogical societies, are you taking note?

If you absolutely love a business, why not give them a little boost in advertising like I did, and put them on the map with Schmaps?